The One
by c5l5o5v5e5r5
Summary: A new intern joins Gibbs' team. She seems like a perfect fit - especially for Tony...
1. Need any help?

"Shit. Fuck. Shit, shit, shit!"

Tony halted outside the break room and peeked in curiously. A ginger haired woman was standing in front of the vending machine pounding at it with her fist and cursing furiously. She wore a gray pencil skirt, a white blouse and 2-inch-heels with her flaming locks brought together in a loose bun above her neck.

"Oh, for fucks sake!"

"Need any help?"

She turned around startled, with her green eyes wide open in surprise. Tony walked into the room confidently with a grin on his face.

"I… well, my pop tart got stuck." She pointed helplessly at the treat barely hanging on, yet still not falling down.

"Yes… that happens sometimes." He surveyed her face and realized she must be in her late twenties, taking into account that the tiny freckles on her nose made her look younger. She was very attractive, and maybe a little too young for him, but that shouldn't matter for some harmless flirtation. He always liked a damsel in distress. "You need to be gentle with it." He caressed the side of the vending machine and when he reached the right spot he slammed his palm on the metal once and hard. Instantly, the pop tart dropped to the slot. "There we go." He handed the snack to her with a smile.

"Wow. That was… impressive."

"You learn the little tricks after a while."

"Well, thanks a lot. Do you want one? I don't usually eat that stuff, I'm kind of stressed today, though… Come on, take one, that's the only way I can repay you."

"I can think of a better way for you to repay me…" He leaned closer with a suggestive smile and she cracked a grin too.

"I'm Alex, by the way."

"Very Special Agent DiNozzo at your service. But you can call me…"

"Tony!" McGee popped his head in the door "Gibbs wants a team meeting ASAP."

"Well. I got to run. But it was very nice meeting you, Alex."

"Bye, Tony. Thanks for saving my pop tart." She waved her hand as he walked away.

* * *

><p>"What's cracking, Boss? Do we have a case?"<p>

"No, but I do have an announcement for you. Where's Ziva?"

"Here!" Ziva exited the elevator in her gym clothes, sweat clearly visible on her forehead.

"How attractive." She made a face at Tony.

"So, what's the big news?"

"We are getting a temporary addition to the team."

"Wait… Boss, you can't be serious!"

"Yes, DiNozzo, I am absolutely serious. And here she is, Alexandra Novak, our new intern."

"Hello." Alex stood in front of the team and gave them a shy smile. Everyone just looked at her without saying a word. Finally, Gibbs introduced the team pointing at each of them.

"David, DiNozzo, McGee. Welcome to the team, Novak."

"Thank you, Gibbs."


	2. Pulling a few nighter

"Ah, how I love working on the weekends." Tony strode into the bullpen in his casual attire and threw his messenger bag onto his desk. "Were you guys called in at the most inconvenient moment, or what?"

"Obviously." Ziva pointed to her damp hair. "I was in the middle of a shower."

"At noon? Wow, Ziver, I always though of you as a morning bird."

"Why would you think of me as a bird?"

"It's an expression… you know what, never mind."

"Everyone ready?"

"Yes, Boss, got our gear and everything… where are we headed?"

"Where is Novak?"

"She was called in too? Come on, Gibbs, she's only an intern, give the kid a break…"

"She's a part of the team, DiNozzo… McGee, are you bleeding?" Gibbs pointed at McGee's shirt that was splattered with red liquid.

"Oh, no, Boss, this is just paint, I was playing paintball."

"Wow, McGee, I'm impressed! You got out of your apartment and played a game in real life for once, not just on a computer screen…" Tony's smirk faded when nobody even chuckled at his awesome joke.

"Sorry I'm late! Got us all a coffee for the ride, though." Alex smiled cheerfully as she walked into the bullpen, but stopped short as she felt everyone stare at her. Everyone except Gibbs, who snatched his coffee from her and headed for the elevator.

"Oh. My. God. What happened to _you_?"

"Did Abby invite you to that Goth meeting of hers too?"

"No, McGee, what are you talking about?"

"Yeah, McGee, this is not Goth, this is… Grunge." Tony surveyed Alex's outfit which consisted of battered Converse high tops, jeans torn so much that her whole knees where sticking out through the holes, and a grey washed down tee with a plaid shirt draped over it.

"I think you look nice, Alex. Very… original. It's just that we're more used to seeing you in pantsuits, that's all."

"Why, thank you, Ziva, that's very kind of you."

"Do you need a formal invitation, or what?" They heard Gibbs shout from the elevator and everyone scurried to join him.

* * *

><p>"Wait, what are you doing! Tony, scroll back up, it was right there!" Alex and Tony were looking at a banking statement of one of their suspects and Tony just absolutely ignored the large sum that was transferred to an overseas account a week ago. "Seriously, how could you not see it?"<p>

"Well, your hair is very distracting!" He tried to push Alex's curls away from his cheek, but he didn't succeed, as she was still leaning over his shoulder.

"What, you don't like my hair in your face?"

"Of course I don't, I feel like it's going to get into my eye any second now…"

"Oh, is it now? Is it?"

"Yeah, what…" She shook her head and her locks covered Tony's face completely.

"How about now, is that better?"

"Stop it right now, I'm suffocating here…" He spat Alex's hair out of his mouth and tried to tackle her. "This is not funny!" He swiveled around in his chair and pulled her down into his lap while tickling her madly.

"No! No, no, no, please no tickles, I am very ticklish…" Alex started giggling loudly and couldn't catch her breath.

"I will have no mercy on you!"

"Stop, I beg you, I will do anything…"

"Anything?" Tony stopped abruptly and looked at Alex's face. Suddenly awkwardness washed over them both. She was basically sitting on Tony's lap while he was holding onto her waist. They looked each other in the eye and realized that their noses were only about an inch apart. Alex's breath got shallow and Tony could easily count the freckles on her nose. He wanted to say something but his mind was blank, the only thing he could focus on was how close they were and how incredibly inappropriate that was.

"_Please_ tell me that we finally got a lead!" As Ziva and McGee walked into the bullpen Alex jumped up from Tony's lap in a blink of an eye while he tried to act nonchalantly.

"Abby and I found nothing, the disk was wiped clean."

"The girlfriend knows nothing either, apparently they have been estranged for a while."

"Well, we actually got a little something on the bank statement…"

* * *

><p>"Now, go home, get some sleep. See you all on Thursday."<p>

"Finally!" Ziva literally snatched her bag and ran out of the office.

"After days of constant work I can't say that I'm not looking forward to sleeping in my own comfy bed." McGee exited as well.

"Yes, I must agree with him on this one, it does sound very appealing…" Tony looked up from the things he has been gathering on his desk and realized that it was only him and Alex on the whole floor. The building was pretty dead, as it usually is at three in the morning, but for some reason Tony wished that the rest of the team hadn't left yet. He wasn't comfortable being with Alex one-on-one.

"Should we head out?" That elevator ride was one of the most excruciating ones he has ever experienced with the silence between them almost tangible.

"So, your first all-nighter, huh? Actually, a few-nighter… When was the last time we were home?"

"I can hardly remember." They both chuckled "Working at NCIS certainly has its interesting moments, doesn't it?"

"Oh, yes…" And at the same time they were both reminded of the awkward scene from numerous hours ago. It was pouring rain when they left the building and the night was surprisingly chilly for the summer season. "That's me."

"Whoa! That's a cool car!"

"Yeah, it's a Ferrari 250 from 1959. What do you drive?"

"Oh, I don't. I don't have a car. I'm just going to call a cab…"

"Are you _serious_? You think I'm going to leave you here alone, in the middle of the night in pouring rain? Come on, get in. I'll give you a ride."

"No, Tony, you really don't have to…"

"I insist."

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it, I mean it wasn't exactly on your way home…"<p>

"No problem." For some reason Tony couldn't completely focus on what Alex was saying. His eyes were fixated on her bare left knee that was peering out of the hole in her jeans. He allowed his mind to think that it was kind of sexy and instantly gave himself a mental head slap for having dirty thoughts about a co-worker.

"Listen, why don't you come up? I have a bottle of wine upstairs…"

"I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Oh, come on, you worked non-stop for days you must be dead tired! The rain is pouring, you can hardly see the road. You can't expect me to let you drive in these conditions. Just come up for a glass till the rain eases off."

"I really…"

"Just two colleagues having a drink. Please."

How the hell did he get dragged into this? Okay, so maybe she didn't have to actually 'drag' him in, but she surely persuaded him to come up. He knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn't say that he wasn't enjoying himself.

"_I am your father!" _They exclaimed in unison with Darth Vader and giggled at Skywalker's expression as he learned the news. They encountered a "Star Wars" marathon on TV and were already on their second bottle of wine.

"Isn't it sad that Vader is such a huge icon, I mean everyone knows who Darth Vader is. And yet no one will ever recognize the actor's face. I mean, no one will ever say 'oh look, isn't that the guy who played Vader?' It's like he's been a part of this huge phenomena… and still nobody knows him."

"Actually, that's David Prowse. And I'm pretty sure he attends all the conventions and such, so probably the fans have an idea of who he is."

"Well, yeah, but still, it's not like he's Harrison Ford, you know? Like, everyone knows who Harrison Ford is, they're like 'yeah, Harrison Ford, played Han Solo and Indiana Jones'… and no one knows who played Vader."

"I think that Prowse got the better deal. Think about it, not only was he the fricking Darth Vader, but he can still go to his neighborhood store to get milk without crazy fans being all over him."

"I guess…" Alex snuggled closer and rested her head on Tony's shoulder. He could feel the warmth coming from her, her thigh brushing against his leg while she tried to wrap the blanket around herself more tightly. "You smell nice."

"Thank you." He chuckled. "You smell nice too. Like apples."

"It's Donna Karan. My mom gave me a bottle a while back. You like it?" She stretched her neck and tilted her head away so that he could smell it. As he took a whiff the tip of his nose touched her warm skin.

"Very nice."

She turned her head to look at him and his stare was electrifying. He could swear that he felt her heartbeat quicken against his side and suddenly his throat got very dry. He involuntarily licked his lips. She parted hers a little, like she was about to say something, but no sound came out. That was all the invitation that he needed. Without giving it another thought he leaned in and finally tasted her warm, sweet lips. She moaned softly under the pressure and firmly pulled him on top of herself.

* * *

><p>Tony smiled as he stretched his arms above his head. He really needed a good night's sleep after that last case and he never slept better than the night before. Suddenly, he felt something heavy, warm and hairy on his chest. As he opened his eyes and looked down he saw flaming locks spread on top of him.<p>

"Shit." His memory came back and Tony realized that the mild headache he was experiencing wasn't a result of over-working, but rather over-drinking. He remembered the make-out session on the couch, the way he threw Alex on her bed, the way she run her fingers through his hair and the way she moaned under him…

"Shit."

"Hey…" Alex rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked up at him. Her pink lips stretched in a small smile. "Hey."

"No. No. Do not 'hey' me. This is bad."

"What?"

"This." Tony motioned between them. "This cannot happen."

"Why not?" She smiled dreamily. "It was fun…"

"No. No, it's just _wrong_."

"Oh. So it wasn't fun for you?" She looked hurt.

"No, I mean, it was great, of course it was great, but…"

"So why can't it keep happening?" She snuggled closer to him.

"Because…" He slid from under her and stood up. "Gibbs is going to kill us. Actually, Gibbs is going to kill _me_." He started putting on his pants.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going home. And we are not telling _anyone _about this."

"Look, I don't understand what the big deal is, Gibbs is just our boss, not…"

"And he has a rule, no sleeping with co-workers, and he is literally going to strangle me if he finds out."

"He isn't going to strangle me, though?"

"Probably not, since I am the Senior Field Agent, and I am _much _older than you and I should have known better…"

"Come on, I'm not that young."

"You're still in college!"

"Graduate school, to be precise."

"Listen" Tony pulled his shirt over his head. "I'm sorry, but this is just not going to work. At all." He looked at her, helplessly sitting on the bed with a sad look on her face. She wouldn't meet his eye and yet he could sense her disappointment. He couldn't stop himself from leaning down and kissing her sweet lips for the last time. She kissed him back eagerly and he took a step back. "I need to go now."

"Okay." She agreed, resigned. "See you at work, Tony."

"Yeah. See you at work."

* * *

><p>He heard a fast knock and turned off his TV before opening the door. There was something desperate in that sound, and yet he couldn't have possibly imagined what awaited him on the other side. Alex stood there, tightly clutching a suitcase in her right hand, with black tears of mascara running down her cheeks. Her hair was a mess and she had a large bruise on the left side of her neck.<p>

"Hi, Tony." She said quietly between the sobs.

"What the hell happened?" She broke down and Tony embraced her. He made her sit on the couch and as she cried into his chest he stroked her hair.

"Sorry." She said a while later after calming down a bit. "I had nowhere else to go."

"What happened?" The weirdest scenarios were running through his head, but he couldn't believe any of them were possible.

"I… my landlord kicked me out. I didn't really sign anything and so he just… kicked me out."

"Why?" Tony still couldn't understand what was going on. "How did you get the bruise?" She started sobbing a little.

"My ex-boyfriend. He came looking for me. He's bad news. We were together for a few months, until I realized he was dealing drugs. Then he got pissed, because he sold some stuff to the people I knew from school and they didn't pay him. He haunted me, he wanted me to make them pay. But then I got the internship and I left the city." Alex wiped the tears from her cheeks. "He found me tonight and he started threatening me, yelling, throwing stuff around. He smashed a window and my landlord came in and found him holding me by the neck…" She touched the bruise lightly with the tips of her fingers. "I don't think he was trying to choke me, he was just furious. My landlord said he was calling the cops and my ex disappeared." A single tear dangled from the tip of her nose. "I have nowhere to go."

"Listen," Tony squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about that. You can stay here as long as you need, it's no problem at all." He rubbed her back with his palm. "Don't you want to press charges?"

"No. I just want the bastard out of my life. I don't think he'll come back, he'll be too afraid to."

"All right. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, I'm just really tired from all of this drama." She smiled weakly.

"Well, you can have my bed, I'll crash on the couch."

"Oh, no, I'll take the couch."

"But…"

"That is out of the question! Not only are you going to let me stay at your place, but also take your bed? No way."

* * *

><p>Alex was standing outside Tony's bedroom door shuffling her feet nervously. She wasn't sure if she should come in, he would probably be asleep anyway. She opened the door slightly and peeked into the dark bedroom. She could barely make out the bed.<p>

"Tony?" She whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"Nah." Came a grunt from the right side of the bed. Tony rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. "What's wrong?"

"I… I can't sleep." The second she said that she realized how stupid and immature it sounded, but instead of regretting her words she continued. "Do you think I could… maybe, like… sleep with you, possibly?" The few seconds it took him to process the question were deadly quiet. Alex could swear she heard Tony blink a few times.

"Come on, then." He scooted over as she slid under the covers.

"Thanks, Tony, you're the best." She lay on her side facing away from him. "I just keep thinking about it and…" She sighted. "I just can't sleep."

"Don't worry about it. You're safe now." He drew his arm around her waist and spooned her. "Is this all right?"

"Yeah. It's perfect." She fell asleep almost instantly.


	3. I take the couch

Tony opened his eyes just as the alarm sounded and blinked a few times to get used to the brightness. As he stretched his arm to turn the alarm off he heard a grunt coming from his left.

"Come on, get up, I don't want to be late again."

"In a minute."

"No, right now. Gibbs is going to be furious if we don't show up on time." Tony nudged Alex in the ribs. She was sleeping on her stomach, her face buried in the pillow.

"We'll just get him a coffee and he'll have to forgive us."

"I don't think I have the kind of charm for that trick to work for me."

"Ah, so you think I'm charming?" She turned her head to look at him with a grin.

"Don't flatter yourself. It's your turn to make breakfast." He took off his shirt on his way to the bathroom and threw it over her head. It's been almost two weeks since Alex moved in and he was kind of getting used to the idea of having a roommate. Sure, it was weird sometimes, like the fact that they shared a bed and then went to work together, but somehow he was okay with having that kind of relationship with her. He tried to think of her like a sister. When he came into the kitchen Alex was sitting on the counter with a mug of coffee in her hands.

"The toasts are almost done. Here's your cup."

"Thanks." As he took a sip Tony had to notice how long her legs looked in her pajama shorts. As she checked the timer on the toaster oven her tank top strap fell from her shoulder. Tony could swear he saw her nipple.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." Tony managed to say as he coughed up the coffee that went down to his lungs.

* * *

><p>"We're here boss!"<p>

"Congratulations, Tony, you're _almost _on time." Ziva said with a grin.

"You're lucky Gibbs went down to the lab. Why are you two always late together, anyways?"

"Yeah, it's not like you live together, right?" Tony and Alex shared a panicked glance. "What? You _live _together?"

"We're just roommates…"

"Grab your gear! We've got a lead."

* * *

><p>Ziva and Tony were taking pictures and measurements of the abandoned car that Abby located.<p>

"The cell phone is in the gloves compartment." Tony noticed. "Did you ever wonder why they still call it the _gloves _compartment? I mean, how many people still put their gloves in there?"

"I don't know, Tony." Ziva was a bit annoyed and decided to change the subject. "So Alex is your roommate now, huh?"

"Well, yeah."

"How did that happen?"

"She just needed a place to stay for a while."

"So she pays you rent and everything?" Ziva pressed on.

"It's more a 'favor for a friend' sort of thing."

"You know, I was thinking, don't you only have a one bedroom?"

"Yeah…"

"And one bed?"

"Oh, I take the couch."

* * *

><p>Alex and Timothy were dusting the car for fingerprints in the garage. They found a few in the front and in the trunk, but they were mostly partial and Abby wasn't happy.<p>

"So, how's living with Tony?" Tim asked straight up.

"It's all right. I think I found a useable one." Alex pulled a fingerprint from the door handle.

"I bet he snores, doesn't he?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Wait, doesn't Tony have a one bedroom?"

"Yeah, but I sleep on the couch."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Tony?" After a day's work Tony and Alex were watching a movie in bed. Alex was half asleep with her head on Tony's chest and her eyes kept closing as Tony absently stroked her hair.<p>

"Hmm?"

"Are you attracted to me?"

"What?"

"Sexually, I mean."

"How can you even ask that?"

"Look, I know that you think it's inappropriate, because we work together and all, but I was just wondering."

"Of course it's inappropriate, but I meant… well, you know. We've already done _it _once."

"Yeah." She smiled at the memory. "But we were drunk, that doesn't really count. Are you attracted to me when you're sober?" She looked up at him. "Are you attracted to me now?" Her big green eyes were mesmerizing. Tony studied her perky little nose and all the little freckles on it, and then his sight landed on her pink lips and he could remember their taste almost perfectly, and yet he wanted to make sure, to taste her again, feel her warm tongue… She giggled.

"What?"

"Your heart is beating really fast, Agent DiNozzo." He bit his lower lip and drew a deep breath.

"You smell like apples."

"You smell like…" Alex brought her face closer to his, she was barely half an inch away. "Peppermint toothpaste." She kissed him slowly, took his lower lip between hers and licked it with the tip of her tongue. He kissed her back carefully, trying to compare her taste with the memory, but the real thing was so much better he could barely control his thoughts. He took her face between his hands and brushed her hair away. She climbed on top of him and he could feel her quick heartbeat. As her tongue made its way between his lips he deepened the kiss and buried his fingers in her locks. Suddenly, she pulled back and looked at him incredulously.

"What?" He asked out of breath.

"You just… You just _moaned_."

"No, I didn't." He denied instantly.

"You totally did." She grinned widely. "I just made you moan. By _kissing _you."

"No, I really…" He was interrupted by a passionate kiss.

* * *

><p>Something was biting Tony's ear. While he was sleeping on his stomach Alex lay on top of him and now she was combing through his hair with her fingers and sucking on his earlobe teasingly.<p>

"Wake up, lover boy."

"Look who's awake at this early hour."

"It's almost nine. I must have worn you out last night." She tugged on his earlobe with her teeth.

"Oh yeah?" He turned around rapidly making Alex fall on her back with a squeal and then shifted his weight on top of her to make her immobile. "Maybe it's my turn to wear _you _out?" She giggled under him.

"I think it's time for you to get a move on or else you'll be late for brunch with your father."

"Ugh. Maybe I should just cancel?" He kissed her slowly.

"You should go." He kissed her again. "I said, go!" She laughed and pushed him away.

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going." He pecked her one last time.

* * *

><p>"You know what I was thinking?" Tony said as he was getting out of the shower.<p>

"Huh?" Alex was standing naked by the sink brushing her teeth with toothpaste dripping down her chin.

"I was thinking…" She rinsed her mouth and he encircled her with his arms from behind. "I was thinking you should move in." She grinned.

"I hate to break it to you, Tony, but I already live with you."

"But you still keep all your stuff in that bloody suitcase that I keep tripping over! You should stop being all 'Holly Golightly' and finally unpack." She met his eye in the mirror.

"Are you sure?" Tony kissed her neck and shoulder a few times.

"I'm sure."

"All right, then." She grinned widely.

"Great." She spun around, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"You're going to be late."

"Not if I leave in the next ten minutes."

"No, you're going to be late." She repeated as she jumped up on the countertop and drew her legs around his hips.

"Ah, I think he can wait a little while." Tony kissed her enthusiastically.


	4. Jealous much?

"The plane leaves in three hours. Pack your bags, we'll meet at the airport."

"What should I take?"

"You're staying, Novak."

"What? Gibbs, but I'm part of the team!"

"Middle East is no place for an intern. There is no way I'm going to be responsible for you."

"But…"

"Besides, the Director will never agree to it. You're staying."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Tony. How are you holding up?" Alex said to the computer screen.<p>

"I'm all right. It's not the best place to be, but I hope we'll be done with the case soon enough."

"Isn't it like the middle of the night down there?"

"Yeah, everyone else is asleep, but I just couldn't… I guess I still got jet lag or something."

"Right. Well listen, I really hope you'll make it back soon…" Her eyes were stinging a little bit, but she promised herself not to cry.

"Don't worry, Alex, everything is going to be fine." He looked around alarmed. "Listen, I have to go, I think someone's waking up…" He looked at her and smiled weakly. "I kind of miss you." She grinned despite the tears that filled her eyes.

"I kind of miss you too."

"Well, it was good to see you."

"Yeah. Come back safe, all right?"

"Bye." They disconnected.

* * *

><p>"You're back!" Alex simply couldn't stop herself. As she saw Tony exit the elevator with that classic grin of his she automatically sprinted towards him and embraced him tightly. It was so good to finally see him, to touch him, to smell him and to feel his warmth, to make sure he's okay. As she looked at his sunburned face, his messy hair and his dusty clothes from the corner of her eye she saw the curious looks their teammates were giving them and she realized the mistake she has made. "You're… You're all back!" Ziva, not used to showing emotions explicitly, stood straight and stiff while Alex was hugging her. McGee patted Alex awkwardly on the shoulder and Gibbs, which Tony found curious, returned the hug and ruffled Alex's hair playfully.<p>

"It's good to see you, kiddo. Thanks for holding up the fort."

* * *

><p>"So, what's between you and Gibbs?" Tony asked a few days later as he was cuddling with Alex on the couch.<p>

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, relationship wise."

"Well… He's my boss?" Alex answered, uncertain as to the point of the question.

"That's it?"

"Yeah… I mean, he's important to me. Sort of like a father figure, I guess." She looked at Tony intrigued. "Why, what did you expect to hear?"

"I don't know, something… romantic, perhaps?"

"What?" She looked at his face disbelievingly. "Are you serious right now? Me and Gibbs?"

"You certainly seem to have a connection. He likes redheads. And you _are_ into older guys. Exhibit A." He pointed at himself.

"I…" Alex was literally speechless. She looked at Tony for a while and then she smiled. "Wait… Tony, are you… Are you _jealous_?"

"Oh, come on, that's absurd!"

"Oh my… You are _so _jealous!" She started laughing, but he just frowned. "Look, Tony." She said when she calmed down. "There is nothing going on between me and Gibbs. Or anybody else, for that matter." She straddled him and took his face between her hands. "And I am into one guy. _You_. I love _you_."

"Really?" He looked at her skeptically.

"Yes, you idiot!" He smiled.

"All right, then." She kissed him and sighted deeply.

"Can we finish watching this movie now?"

"Fine." She settled down at his side again. "By the way," Tony added. "You know I love you too, right?" Alex grinned.

"Yeah, I kind of guessed. But it's nice to hear you say it." She snuggled closer and rested her head on his shoulder.


	5. It doesn't feel real

"Yeah, Gibbs." He flipped his phone open and propped it against his shoulder to wipe the sawdust off his hands.

"Hey, it's Alex, I… I'm sorry to call you this late, but I think… I think something may be wrong with Tony."

"With DiNozzo? How do you mean?" He swiveled the last sip of bourbon in the jar that served him as a glass.

"Well, he left a few hours ago to rent a movie and… He just didn't come back. He's not picking up his phone, he's just… gone."

"Hm." Gibbs knew that they were living together and suspected there might be something going on between the two, but he refrained himself from commenting on their relationship.

"Maybe I'm just being silly. Right? I mean he probably bumped into an old friend and got a drink, his phone might have died or something…" A piercing _biiip_ sounded into Gibbs' ear.

"Novak, I'm putting you on hold." Without waiting for an answer he switched to the other line. "Yes, Director?"

"Gibbs, you better get your whole team in here, stat. We just received a disturbing video. DiNozzo has been captured."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this is happening." They were all standing in the bullpen, their eyes fixed on the plasma screen watching Tony sit in a chair, his arms and legs bounded. The captors' faces were covered, but their voices were threatening.<p>

"If we don't get the money by midnight, DiNozzo Senior can say 'bye, bye' to his handsome sonny." Alex yelped as the captor hit Tony in the head with the handle of his gun. They all watched as thick, red blood slowly ran down his forehead. Abby hid her face in Timothy's shoulder and he patted her on the back. Ziva stood with a stern look on her face, but worry was clearly visible in her eyes. Ducky drew his brows together in a concerned manner, while Jimmy was biting his nails nervously. Alex's cheeks were wet from tears and her voice trembled.

"Wha-a-at are we g-going t-to do?"

"David, track DiNozzo Senior down and bring him in. McGee, you and Novak check his bank statements, and see whom he borrowed the money from. Abby, I need you to analyze this video and do whatever you can to locate Tony. Alex, put out a BOLO on his car. Ducky and Palmer…" Gibbs paused for a moment. "Hopefully we won't have any bodies to autopsy tonight. I'm going to talk to the Director." Gibbs ran up the steps.

"It… It doesn't feel real." Alex looked up at the frozen screen and new tears welled up in her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Listen, Gibbs, I told them I needed a little more time to pay it off. Times are hard. I was going to get the money eventually, I had no idea they were going to involve Junior…" Alex walked into the conference room.<p>

"Boss, we found the car. By the video place." Gibbs nodded.

"Go. You and McGee."

"Ah, you must be Alex! So nice to finally meet you." The grey haired man gave her a charming smile and she felt a burning pain in her chest when she realized how similar it was to Tony's.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to go and try to save your son now." She may have slammed the door a little too hard.

"Feisty. I like that." She heard from the other side.

* * *

><p>"I couldn't track his cellphone, but I narrowed it down thanks to the video. It's still a big radius, but the number of buildings he can be held in is limited. These are the three most likely." Abby pointed them out on the map.<p>

"Three is still a lot, Abbs, we need all of our people in one place."

"Maybe _we_ can cover all three."

"What are you doing here, Fornell?" Gibbs looked at the intruder angrily.

"The man who is behind all this was on FBI's radar for a long time, this may be our opportunity to finally get him. This should be an FBI investigation."

"That is _my _agent in there!"

"That's the only reason we are willing to collaborate. If you give us an interview with DiNozzo Senior and the captors alive, we will be happy to supply more people."

"Fine." Gibbs agreed. "But I can't promise you that the captors will be unharmed."

"Understood. Now, what's the plan?"

* * *

><p>"Oh, no." Alex was in the lab watching the live footage with Abby, Ducky and Palmer. Gibbs left her behind, partly because of her status as an intern and partly because he realized she couldn't separate her personal feelings from her work. And for the first time in his life he didn't think of it as degrading.<p>

"Don't you worry. Jethro is an excellent shooter. I remember one time, he…"

"Please, Ducky, not now." Abby trembled a little from all the tension and Palmer tried to comfort her by patting her hand.

"Move, move, move!" The image shook as Gibbs ran forward. As he entered the room a sorry sight appeared. Tony was slouched in a chair, the bonds barely holding him up. Half of his face was covered in dried blood, he was breathing heavily and if not for the man who stood behind him and held his head up by pulling on his hair Tony wouldn't have looked up at all.

"One more step and I'll kill him." A large dagger glistened in the man's hand as he pressed it firmly across Tony's throat. "Put your guns down. Slowly!"

"All right." Gibbs agreed, to Alex's horror. "No sudden movements. Understood?"

"Yes." There was a single response coming from Gibbs' far right and Alex recognized the voice as Ziva's. As Gibbs slowly crouched down to set his gun gently on the floor, there was a shot fired that reached the captor at the elbow. The dagger hit the floor as the force of the shot threw the man back. He was quickly cuffed and led out by the FBI agents.

"Tony? DiNozzo, can you here me?" Gibbs squeezed Tony's arm, but there was no response besides the heavy breathing. "Get me a copter, now! We're transporting him to the navy hospital."

* * *

><p>"We stitched up the wound on the head, there is a probability of a concussion. The more serious problem, however, are the ribs, two fractured and two bruised. It's a miracle that the lung wasn't punctured, but there must have been pain and discomfort with each breath. Thankfully, there is no internal bleeding, but there are a few major bruises, and of course there might be some psychological damage. We'll have a psychiatrist in, as soon as possible. You may go in now. He's conscious." As they all walked in Tony looked up.<p>

"You look dreadful." Ziva commented.

"Good to see you, too…" He responded weakly and tried to smile. Alex couldn't stand it any longer and she ran to Tony's side while tears of relief streamed down her face.

"I was so worried…" She kissed him in front of everyone. She didn't care anymore, at that point only Tony was important, and the fact that he was safe. She looked at him and touched his hair, which was peaking out from under the bandages. "Never do that to me again."

"All right. I promise to try not to volunteer to be kidnapped. As much fun as it was." Tony looked at the rest of the team over Alex's shoulder and she was forced to straighten up and look at them too. McGee was gaping at the couple, his mouth hanging open. Ziva had an I-knew-it look on her face, and didn't seem too surprised. Gibbs just raised an eyebrow. "We're kind of in love." Tony offered an explanation. McGee took two steps back and mindlessly sat in a chair. This declaration startled Ziva a bit, and her expression turned to confused _slash _disbelieving. Gibbs only smiled.

"Good." Was all he said on the matter.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on, I've been laying in this bed for who knows how long! I'm bored!"<p>

"So watch a movie or something."

"I've already seen _everything. _Even the bad ones that you chose…"

"Hey, don't insult my taste! That's certainly not going to get you laid."

"_Please._ I am begging you! I seriously need some quality entertainment."

"Ha!" Alex lay down next to him. "So I'm an entertainer now?"

"Please?" He gave her a puppy look. "You know you want to."

"Tony, the doctor said you should rest."

"Exactly, and this is _not _rest. I am miserable!"

"Don't be ridiculous, no one has ever died from not having sex."

"Well, they obviously didn't have you parading around their apartment."

"I am wearing sweats! How is that attractive?"

"You look great in everything. Better yet, in nothing." He kissed her slowly.

"Tony, don't."

"And you smell so nice…" He kissed her again. "And you're so warm and sexy and…" He bit her lower lip. "Amazing."

"I said _don't._" She sat up rapidly.

"Oh, why the hell not?"

"Because, you have two broken ribs, for crying out loud! I just don't want to hurt you, okay? I don't want you to be in any more pain."

"I won't! Just be gentle with me and I promise it'll be fine."

"That's the thing though, I don't think that I _can_ be gentle with you." She looked at him hungrily. "I wanted to jump you ever since you got out from the hospital, all right? You think I'm enjoying this celibacy thing? And you're not making it any easier, mister…" She got up from the bed.

"Then give in! Give in to the temptation, woman!" She grinned.

"As soon as you're healed and the doctor gives you a green light. I promise, that is going to be the best sex of your life. But for now, I am going to make us some lunch." She went into the kitchen. Tony looked at his torso angrily.

"Stupid ribs. Heal! Heal, damn it!" He whispered.

* * *

><p>"So it turns out that he was not only his business partner, but he was also sleeping with his wife." Ziva made a photo of a blonde woman appear on the screen.<p>

"And why didn't she mention that when we interviewed her?"

"Well, boss, apparently she didn't realize her husband knew about the affair." Tony chipped in.

"But from the pictures Abby and I found on his computer, he definitely did."

"We have our motive. Let's bring him in. Alex, locate his cellphone." There was no response. "Alex?" Gibbs and the rest of the team turned around. Alex was sitting at her desk with her face a weird shade of green. She slowly raised a shaking finger in a give-me-a-minute sign. Then, suddenly, she jumped up from her chair and raced for the ladies' room. Everyone looked after her, astounded.

"Umm… I guess I'll check on her." Ziva cautiously entered the restroom. "Alex? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm… okay." Came an answer from one of the stalls. "I guess I must have eaten something bad, or something."

"Right… Listen, maybe you should sit this one out? I'm sure Gibbs will let you go home."

"No, no, I'll be fine. I'm fine." She said more confidently.

"If you say so." Ziva wasn't convinced.

* * *

><p>"Hey beautiful, I'm back and I bring treats!" Tony lifted the bag of Chinese take-out triumphantly.<p>

"We need to talk." Alex was sitting on the couch with a serious face.

"What's wrong?"

"Tony, I… you should sit down."

"You're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Well, I went to the doctor today."

"Wait, are you sick? Is it… you're going to be okay, though, right? I mean, come on, Alex, you can't do this to me, you can't…"

"Tony, I'm pregnant."

"Oh. My…" Tony let the air out of his lungs loudly. "Wow. That's kind of a shocker. I mean, no, that's great, that's…"

"That is _not _great."

"No? I mean, sure, kind of a surprise there, but…"

"Are you kidding me? This is the biggest inconvenience ever!" Alex stood up and started pacing around the room, irritated.

"Inconvenience?" Tony smiled.

"Do you think this is funny? Is my misery funny to you?"

"No, of course not, I just think it's weird to call a child an 'inconvenience,' that's all…"

"Child? What _child_?"

"Well, you just said you were pregnant…"

"Yes, not that I was going to have it."

"What?"

"Tony, I've scheduled an abortion."

"Are… are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. What did you think, I was going to let this ruin my life?" Tony was speechless. "I've told you, because I'm kind of scared and I want you to be there with me." She sat next to him, but Tony jumped up abruptly.

"No. No, just… no." He ran his hands through his hair. "You need to think about this. Consider all the options. Just… sleep on it, or something."

"I don't think sleeping is going to change my mind…"

"Alex, this is a child. _A child._ You can't just…"

"Damn, Tony, I didn't realize you were a pro-life kind of guy."

"I… this is a child. _Our _child."

"Okay, so you want me to have it, then? And what's going to happen after that? A happily-ever-after?"

"I don't know, maybe. The point is, I want you to think about this. Seriously." He crouched down in front of her and squeezed her hand. "Can you do that for me? Please?" She couldn't look him in the eye. She felt this tingling sensation that signaled tears were coming.

"Okay, fine. But that doesn't mean I'm going to change my mind."

"I know." He kissed her hand. "And I'm going to love you either way. Just think about it."

"Hmm. We should eat now, before it get's even colder…"

* * *

><p>"It was a pleasure working with you." Ziva smiled warmly.<p>

"We will really miss you." McGee squeezed Alex's arm.

"You have to visit us!" Abby gave her a hug.

"I sure will. Gosh, I can't believe those months went by so fast…"

"Well, maybe after you graduate you can join NCIS for good. You'll always have a place on my team."

"Thanks, Gibbs, I appreciate it, but I won't be going back to school for a while." The team exchanged puzzled looks while Alex grinned at Tony. "Tony and I… we're…"

"We're having a baby."

"Oh! You guys!" Abby embraced them both tightly.

"Mazel tov!" Ziva hugged them, too.

"Congratulations." Gibbs kissed Alex on the cheek and patted Tony on the shoulder. "You are going to make great parents."

"So do you have any names yet?"

"We were thinking Anthony for a boy."

"We are still discussing that." Alex rolled her eyes.

"Tony doesn't like it."

"I just don't think that the world needs more Anthony DiNozzos, that's all."

"Well, I disagree. Besides, that's why we would call him by his middle name. Jethro."

* * *

><p>"This is taking forever. Do you think they're all right? I mean, the doctors would tell us if something was wrong, right?"<p>

"Relax, Abbs, it's going to be fine." Gibbs rubbed her back.

"Do you want something from the cafeteria? I can get you a cookie or something…"

"Geez, McGee, stop with the food! You've been to the cafeteria like five times in the last hour."

"I can't help it, all right, Ziva? I always eat when I'm worried…"

"Well, you can stop now McNervy."

"Tony! Is everything all right?"

"It's great. It's perfect. _She's _perfect. It's a girl. I'm a father now." Tony stood in the hospital's waiting room grinning widely, with tears of joy streaming down his face while his family embraced him in a group hug.


End file.
